Earthquake (Little Boots song)
Encyclopedia
"Earthquake" is a song by English recording artist Little Boots
from her debut album, Hands
. Written by Boots and Greg Kurstin
and produced by Kurstin, the song was released in the United Kingdom on 16 November 2009 as the album's third and final single
. It debuted at number eighty-four on the UK Singles Chart
, dropping off the chart the following week.
referred to the song as a "strikingly affecting, emotionally naked galactic banger." Nick Levine from Digital Spy
wrote that the song "begins with a colossal onslaught of synths and doesn't ease off." Fraser McAlpine of the BBC
Chart Blog believed that the track is "not as instant or as infectious as 'Remedy
', and is instead a bit more inward-looking and even a bit glum in places, but Boots actually pulls off my favourite pop trick of contrasting some quite depressing lyrics with some quite jolly sounds." He also went on to compare it to The Human League
. Andrzej Lukowski of Drowned in Sound
commented that "the wistful sigh and thrum of its chorus charging with hangdog allure a hook that could so easily have been fine-tuned into nagging infectiousness." The Guardian
s Alex Petridis stated that the song "harnesses its fantastic tune to the plasticky, wildly uncool euphoria of late 90s trance
."
was directed by David Wilson and had its premiere on 16 October 2009 on Boots's official YouTube
channel and on Perez Hilton
's website. It shows Boots singing in front of a big city, playing her Casio SK-5
and catching tears falling in slow motion, as well as galaxy lights and light strobes.
for the week of 22 November 2009, spending one week only on the chart and therefore failing to match the commercial success of her previous singles.
UK CD single
UK promo CD single
(Released )
UK 7" single
UK 12" single
UK and Japanese iTunes EP
Little Boots
Victoria Christina Hesketh, also known by her stage name/pseudonym Little Boots, is an English electropop singer-songwriter. Her stage name comes from a nickname given to her by a friend, a reference to her unusually small feet...
from her debut album, Hands
Hands (Little Boots album)
Hands is the debut studio album by English recording artist Little Boots. It was released in the United Kingdom on 8 June 2009 by 679 Recordings to generally positive reviews. Many critics complimented its "well-crafted" pop songs and "diverse" production...
. Written by Boots and Greg Kurstin
Greg Kurstin
Gregory Allen "Greg" Kurstin is an award-winning American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. In 2009 Kurstin received a Grammy Award nomination for Producer of the Year. That same year he won three Ivor Novello awards for his work with Lily Allen, including Songwriters of the Year for "The Fear"...
and produced by Kurstin, the song was released in the United Kingdom on 16 November 2009 as the album's third and final single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
. It debuted at number eighty-four on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, dropping off the chart the following week.
Critical reception
"Earthquake" received very positive reviews from critics. Emily Mackay from the NMENME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
referred to the song as a "strikingly affecting, emotionally naked galactic banger." Nick Levine from Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
wrote that the song "begins with a colossal onslaught of synths and doesn't ease off." Fraser McAlpine of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Chart Blog believed that the track is "not as instant or as infectious as 'Remedy
Remedy (Little Boots song)
"Remedy" is a song by English recording artist Little Boots from her debut album, Hands. Written by Boots and RedOne, the song was released as the album's second single on 17 August 2009 in the United Kingdom, becoming her most successful single on the UK Singles Chart to date. A remix EP of the...
', and is instead a bit more inward-looking and even a bit glum in places, but Boots actually pulls off my favourite pop trick of contrasting some quite depressing lyrics with some quite jolly sounds." He also went on to compare it to The Human League
The Human League
The Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s and have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s up to the present day.The only constant...
. Andrzej Lukowski of Drowned in Sound
Drowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
commented that "the wistful sigh and thrum of its chorus charging with hangdog allure a hook that could so easily have been fine-tuned into nagging infectiousness." The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
s Alex Petridis stated that the song "harnesses its fantastic tune to the plasticky, wildly uncool euphoria of late 90s trance
Trance music
Trance is a genre of electronic dance music that developed in the 1990s.:251 It is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 and 150 bpm,:252 repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and breaks down throughout a track...
."
Music video
The song's music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was directed by David Wilson and had its premiere on 16 October 2009 on Boots's official YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel and on Perez Hilton
Perez Hilton
Mario Armando Lavandeira, Jr. , better known as Perez Hilton , is an American blogger and television personality. His blog, Perezhilton.com , is known for posts covering gossip items about celebrities...
's website. It shows Boots singing in front of a big city, playing her Casio SK-5
Casio SK-5
The Casio SK-5 is a sampling keyboard introduced by Casio in 1987. Samples may be gathered from a built-in microphone or a line-level input from another source.The keyboard was rebranded as the Realistic Concertmate-650 for sale at Radio Shack stores....
and catching tears falling in slow motion, as well as galaxy lights and light strobes.
Commercial performance
"Earthquake" debuted at number eighty-four on the UK Singles ChartUK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
for the week of 22 November 2009, spending one week only on the chart and therefore failing to match the commercial success of her previous singles.
Track listings
These are the track listings and formats of major single releases of "Earthquake".UK CD single
- "Earthquake" – 3:25
UK promo CD single
(Released )
- "Earthquake" (Radio Edit) – 3:25
- "Earthquake" (SashaSasha (DJ)Sasha is a Welsh DJ and record producer. Sasha began his career playing acid house dance music in the late 1980s...
Remix) – 7:51 - "Earthquake" (Clap Mike Amour Remix) – 3:46
- "Earthquake" (Dekker & Johan Remix) – 7:04
- "Earthquake" (Treasure Fingers' Epicwave Remix) – 6:28
UK 7" single
- A1. "Earthquake" – 4:04
- B1. "Catch 22" – 3:41
UK 12" single
- A1. "Earthquake" (Sasha Remix) – 7:54
- A2. "Earthquake" (Joy for Life Remix) – 7:00
- B1. "Earthquake" (Treasure Fingers' Epicwave Remix) – 6:28
- B2. "Earthquake" (Gold Panda Remix) – 5:00
UK and Japanese iTunes EP
- "Earthquake" (Joy for Life Remix) – 7:00
- "Earthquake" (Sasha Remix) – 7:54
- "Earthquake" (Treasure Fingers' Epicwave Mix) – 6:34
- "Earthquake" (Gold Panda Remix) – 4:58
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
84 |
Release history
| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 13 November 2009 | 679 Artists, Atlantic Records Atlantic Records Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz... |
Digital EP Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
| 16 November 2009 | CD single, 7" single Gramophone record A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove... , 12" single 12-inch single The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality... |